Stagecoach criticises Unite union for fuelling "fantasy pay demands" in Preston and Chorley and threatening to disrupt vital community bus links

Stagecoach has today (30 September 2021) criticised the Unite union for fuelling "fantasy pay demands" in Preston and Chorley, and threatening to disrupt vital bus links in South Lancashire which are a lifeline for local communities and businesses.

Despite the ongoing challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Stagecoach has already agreed pay increases with Unite for all other depots in the region.

But the Unite union has so far refused to reach agreement on bus drivers at Preston and Chorley depots and has confirmed industrial action will be going ahead, despite being offered a deal of up to 6.2% that would deliver their ambition of increasing drivers’ hourly rate of pay to £12.00 within the next 12 months. Despite many sectors of business seeing a pay freeze in 2020 during the pandemic, drivers at Preston and Chorley also received a 2.25% pay increase last year.

Unite has informed Stagecoach that it will be taking industrial action on 14, 15, 16, 22 and 23 October.

Matt Davies, Managing Director of Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire said: "Local people who depend on buses will be extremely angry at this completely unnecessary disruption to their bus services.

"Bus services across the country are facing a continuing challenging financial environment with passenger levels significantly down on pre-Covid levels. Bus passenger fares are significantly short of what is needed just to cover even the day-to-day costs of running services without government support.

"Despite this, we have worked tirelessly to protect the jobs of our people. We have also done all we reasonably can to hold constructive discussions with Unite and reach a sensible and sustainable pay agreement across our bus depots in Lancashire. The fact that we have proposed and reached agreement at all of our other depots is a sign of our good faith.

"However, Unite has shown no interest in reaching similar agreements covering bus drivers at our Preston and Chorley depots and instead insists on fuelling fantasy pay demands as part of a wider political agenda.

"Our employees absolutely deserve a pay rise for all their hard work throughout the pandemic, but the union needs a reality-check on what is affordable. We have offered our drivers a pay increase that is in line with inflation, and that comes on top of a 2.25% increase last year, at a time when many key workers saw a pay freeze. Hard-working local people will find it astonishing that the union has rejected our offer.

Mr Davies added: "Any talk of industrial action by the union is irresponsible and counterproductive when the focus should be on protecting the jobs of our people and the long-term sustainability of bus services for the local community. Right now we all need to be encouraging people back to using the bus.

"We are committed to offering good packages for our people. We very much remain open to continuing discussions with the union and would urge them to suspend their action and work with us to find a way forward.”

Any action by Unite union members would impact on operations from the Preston and Chorley sites, which operate services around Preston and to Blackpool, Blackburn, Skipton, Southport and Bolton. It would not impact Stagecoach services from Morecambe and around Lancaster and Kendal including services from Lancaster to Preston and Blackpool.

ENDS